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26 August 2011

Parenting: Keeping the Oar In

Ever get the feeling that your parenting years are rushing by?

I've been feeling that lately. As though there is a sense of urgency to pull myself out of my habitual complacency and stick my oar back in the waters. It's so easy to just float and let life move us down the stream. Whether I like it or not, our boat is moving. Life is rushing forward ... it's a beautiful ride, but there are plenty of rocks to run into.

Is my oar in or is my oar out?

Time to reexamine some of my own issues and habits and tidy up a bit. Time to refocus my prayers for my children and dig purposefully into the Word. Can you relate?

What is some of the best biblical parenting advice you've ever received?

The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

4 comments:

It's amazing how quietly and how easily complacency slips over us. Hebrews 2 talks about how we must be on our guard so that we don't drift away. I think the word choice "drift" is perfectly used, because so often when one drifts {physically or spiritually} it happens without one's realizing... until the distance becomes very apparent.

I've been doing my own measure of prayer and soul searching lately, with regard to my parenting and my own heart before God. Have I drifted? I'm seeing signs. It's time to wake-up, to be reeled in... only by the grace of the Father.

There's something about the fresh start of the school year and the return to structure that awakens this heart examining in me. I'm praying that we'll both return to where we should be, that we'll be on our guard. And, isn't Proverbs 2 such an encouragement? If we seek wisdom and ask for understanding we WILL understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Whew, this got long. Writing this was good for renewing my own heart and mind.